[Warning: Potentially Triggering Content]
A man from the tiny town of Springfield, Louisiana is set to serve the next 50 years of his life behind bars after pleading guilty to the rape of a 14-year-old girl. And in addition, he will also be physically castrated as part of his punishment.
Yes, you read that right!
Earlier this month, Glenn Sullivan Sr. pleaded guilty to four counts of second-degree rape in a courtroom in Livingston Parish, Louisiana. This week he was handed down his sentence. In addition to the half-century behind bars, Sullivan also had an option given to him by the court based on his plea deal: he could either be chemically castrated or physically castrated. And he chose the latter.
Based on Louisiana law, men who are convicted of certain rape offenses — including the repeated sexual assault of children, as in Sullivan’s case — are subject to being castrated. Most often, those convicted are ordered to be chemically castrated, which involves the use of drugs to stop the production of sex hormones in their bodies. But physical castration — that is, the surgical removal of a man’s testicles — is an option under Louisiana law. And as part of his plea deal, that’s what this man chose. Seriously.
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To be fair, there’s a catch. Based on the plea deal, Sullivan’s physical castration must come either (a) immediately, or (b) up to one week prior to his release from prison. Well, he just agreed to serve a 50-year sentence, and he’s 54 years old. You can do the math on the chances of him living past the end of his sentence.
Still, physical castration is an official part of the plea deal which Sullivan readily accepted. That choice has astounded prosecutors and corrections officials alike. It may sound barbaric, but at the same time… if it protects others from monstrous behavior, the state won’t flinch! Livingston Parish’s Assistant District Attorney Brad Cascio spoke to the Louisiana Radio Network about the plea and the castration choice:
“As of right now is this guy going to ever get out? I don’t know. But in the future if something were to change and he somehow can parole out early, I want to make sure that we’ve done everything we can, with our ability, in our office to make sure he never does this again.”
Well, he sure won’t after the surgery takes place… Cascio continued by pointing out just how rare this is — he has never before been in a courtroom where a physical castration was handed down as part of the penalty:
“Sex crimes against juveniles are the most malicious crimes we prosecute. I intend on using every tool the legislature is willing to give us, including physical castration, to seek justice for the children in our community. I want to say I’ve had three people ordered to be chemically castrated but, to my knowledge, this is the first physical castration to be ordered. I felt that this case was a strong enough case and warranted such action.”
Crazy. Like we said, the chances are pretty minuscule of this guy living to the point where he has to actually go through with the castration before his release. Heck, if he serves only half of his five-decade sentence, he’ll be nearly 80 when he gets out. But still…
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BTW, Sullivan’s crimes were particularly heinous. Not only did he admit to repeatedly raping the 14-year-old girl, but she actually became pregnant with his baby! Yeesh!! When she first learned she was pregnant, she came forward and told police Sullivan “had raped her multiple times” leading to the pregnancy. A DNA test confirmed that Sullivan was indeed the father.
Things only got worse from there, though. Detectives learned that for months prior to that, Sullivan had “groomed the victim and used threats of violence against her and her family to prevent the young woman from disclosing the rapes.” So disgusting — and terrifying. Livingston Parish District Attorney Scott M. Perrilloux spoke to WBRZ about the case, and the girl’s bravery in coming forward for help:
“So many of these types of cases go unreported because of fear. The strength it must have taken for this young woman to tell the truth in the face of threats and adversity is truly incredible.”
No kidding. Now, thankfully, justice is being served. Even if, one day, that requires some very sharp shears.
If you have sincere cause to suspect child abuse, call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453, or go to www.childhelp.org.
If you or someone you know has experienced sexual violence and would like to learn more about resources, consider checking out https://www.rainn.org/resources.
[Image via Livingston Parish Sheriff’s Office]
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